


BETTER KNOWING

by SkekLa



Series: A thousand years have passed [8]
Category: The Dark Crystal (1982)
Genre: Calm Before The Storm, Gen, ominous moments, secrets partially unravel, things are going downhill
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-24
Updated: 2020-02-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:42:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22879678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkekLa/pseuds/SkekLa
Summary: How would you try to warn someone about an ominous future looming upon them, were you unable to speak about it openly?...
Series: A thousand years have passed [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1518779
Kudos: 4





	BETTER KNOWING

**Author's Note:**

> **The gelfling character you get to know in this small story had her name changed for this version of the tale, given how the former had been the name of a friend´s avatar character and it felt strange for me to keep using it for new uploads after we lost all contact. Since the story and demeanor of the gelfling within this tale were just concocted by me, I chose to change her name and slight parts of her description to befit her better into my current personal AU and its headcanon.  
> *I hope this doesn´t bother anyone who has formerly read this tale. Enjoy! ^^ 
> 
> **Please keep in mind that these fanfictions are meant to take place in an Alternate Universe where certain things might differ from canon. Albeit, this is heavily based off the classic Dark Crystal movie (1982) and some of the canon and characterisations might sound off to anyone who´s not watched the movie (given how certain things were retconned and/or changed by the recent Netflix series)  
> All the canon lore and recogniseable characterisations for canon characters within this fic are based off the classic movie and its associated 80´s book lore and/or Legends of the Dark Crystal (2007). *Also referencing Brian Froud´s Creation Myths (2011)concerning the fate of two skeksis right after the splitting*  
> The rest of what´s seen at my fanworks is just personal headcanon.

As the misty Pink Light of the rose sun spilled over the Crystal Castle outer yard’s arches and pilasters of grim, rusty stone, two figures remained half-concealed by the shade of a swirling ornate column, which held the tallest gateway to the bowels of the fortress.

One was a pale greyish skeksis clad in ellaborate burgundy velvet and black threadbare silks, who squinted before the sunlight in vain atempt to force clear, greenish eyes to see amidst it’s fulgor.

The other, a gelfling maid, lean and small, wearing an Imperial servant’s attire which had replaced her more rustic gelfling robes ever since she came to serve her Master in the Castle. The delicate tissue of her minute ochre and burgundy dress brushed her feet as she backed down to accompany her Master, since the skeksis seemed to dislike direct sunlight.  
The gelfling knew skeksis were prone to quick anger, and her Master might feel offended if she stepped out without her, or dared to walk precceeding her...so she stood by the side of the tall bulky skeksis, awaiting for any order or sign to what she ought to do.

SkekLa, the Illustrator, staying carefully away from direct sunlight, tilted her head pensively, and she seemed to be lost in thought for a moment which lasted long enough to become awkward.  
Her breath seemed ragged and denoted exhaustion...perhaps merely the kind of weight years had fitted within her ancient body.

Kirie, her servant and willing aid for ink making, stared at her almost boldly, filled with curiosity at the sight of the bitter and troubled mood her Master had sunken in.

-“Master...”- She finally ventured, after several minutes of silent observation of the motionless skeksis. -“ Is something wrong?...”-

When the Illustrator’s eyes turned their gaze to her, Kirie felt a shiver running down her spine.

She had never seen such a deep shimmer within them before.

Many times she had accompanied her Master while in distress... however, the depth of worry and perhaps fear she now saw within those pale and bright eyes confused and frightened her.

Barely minding to part her clenched fangs as she spoke, SkekLa murmured with a hissing tone -“ We are needing to hold a conversation since long, Gelfling...too long...”-

Daring naught to utter a word, Kirie fixed her gaze upon her Master’s disturbingly piercing eyes, and held it.

-“ You surely have noticed all we Crystal Lords are elders...in other words, ancient....yes?...”-

Kirie widened her eyes.

Her Master had never adressed at this topic before her.

-“ Ancient, Master?...Yes...I had been told that by the time my forebests were born, you were all already here...living in the Castle just like you still do now...”-

She hesitated, not wanting to go further into how old she believed the skeksis were, in fear it might be offensive for her Master.

The Illustrator, however, did not show any signs of resenting her blunt honesty, and simply rumbled within her throat before resuming the talk in a raspy, low voice.

-“ The Crystal Castle is OURS. We never did- and still do not- want _anyone_ to defy our right to dwell in it and rule over this land.  
So, we sought to dominate the other races inhabiting these lands, in a benevolent manner.  
In the times of your forebests, gelfling, we would invite them to the Castle, and they came in willingly...they sang, painted, carved, and danced for us...and _with_ us.  
But time...  
Time changes things, gelfing.  
It twists them and warps them, turning them grotesque and unrecognizeable...  
And time after time, indeed, we ended up submitting any unwilling plebs through force.  
And over land and Castle we kept domain...absolute power over all other kinds.”-

The Illustrator’s voice broke into a sharp, hissy cry at this point, and Kirie feared her Master would become ill. There was something so terribly sad upon the sight of her breaking down like this, something that made the tall and threatening skeksis suddenly look so vulnerable, that she barely refrained from patting her in comfort.

After an unsetling moment of hoarse breathing, SkekLa resumed her soliloqui, before her servant’s rapt attention.

-“ The Emperor was quick into writing a set of laws for holding a better, tighter grasp upon the lives of his Courtiers...and as such grasp tightened, it began to stifle us, choke us.  
Among many other things, he forbade us to have descendance...for he did not want any extra competition, no further ones who might aspire to some day wield his sceptre and sit upon his throne.  
His Imperial Majesty looked bitterly upon the possibility of some new, arrogant and fierce skeksis snatching his power through violence...His goal was, and still is, to be eternal. His throne and scepter shall forever remain under his talons.  
So... we came to hold the weight of centuries alone...in forcible despise of each other”-

The tiny gelfling maid dared rising her pearly voice at such new notion , as unbelievable and surprising as it seemed to her.

-“ Master...then...if anything happened to you and the other skeksis, the Castle and everything within it will end being nobody’s...”-

SkekLa’s eyes shone with a warning for a brief moment, as if the gelfling’s sudden comprehension of the truth behind the skeksis self- imposed appearance and the bitter truth behind the gilded cages they had created for themselves- surfacing after all that time- ment a severe threat.

Peering intensely into her servant’s wide brown eyes, however, the Illustrator could find no menace, no second intentions, no knives in the dark.

Taking a leap of faith, and determined to finish the talk she had wanted to offer this gelfling with since so long, she replied in a jaded, muttering voice:

-“ Unless our Ritual Master’s prophecy and the Scientists’s calculations are correct, and thus the thousandth trine of our domain returns to us everything we have lost with the passing of time, replenishing all our strength and youth...Unless that long awaited event comes to happen exactly as we all expect, gelfling...you might be right.”-

Gesturing with a bony taloned hand, the Illustrator rasped -“Crystal, rock, and gold are _hard_ , gelfling...and they remain forever intact...Contrarily _we_ , made of flesh and blood and bone, do slowly wither and corrupt... inevitably walking towards our own--....”-

Unable to utter the fateful words running through her head, SkekLa fell abruptly silent.  
Her sunken chest heaved with short, ragged breathing, as intensely as for her ribcage to notoriously rise and fall beneath the multiple heavy layers of robes she wore.

Kirie could no longer hold herself back, and ended up leaning her head against her distraught Master’s waist, as she slightly touched the skeksis´crooked hands in an attempt to reassure her.

The Illustrator cringed at the touch, although she wore an expression not unlike pity, and swiftly looked aside as she huffed -“ I sometimes wish I were able to release you, gelfling...and send you away from here.”-

The minute gelfling maid rose her head from the skeksis’ flank in bewilderment, and sought for her Master’s eyes- which now seemed purposely distant.

-“ Master...why?...I appreciate my job and my life here at the castle...I don´t -- I would never leave you alone, Master!...”-

Huffing with a crackling sound within her throat, SkekLa turned again to face her. Now she was visibly sad and concerned, and something within her eyes made Kirie’s soul freeze.

SkekLa’s long taloned hand hesitantly came to rest, but for a brief second, over the gelfling’s head- an odd protective gesture.

-“ Why, indeed... That, I truly cannot tell you, Gelfling. If I did, it would cost either my position in court, or my life.  
I trust that you understand I will not risk as much.  
However, you should know-mind my words well- that we once did need and love your kind, because you are youthful, jovial creatures, filled with energy and life...and for these same reasons, we have ultimately grown to _hate_ you...”-

The gelfling, utterly flabbergasted, took a step back, tilting her head in disbelief.

-“ Master?...I do not understand...you...do you hate me, Master?...”-

The Illustrator wearily bared her fangs in an exhausted grimace, and snorted in distress as she answered, now with a softer tone- less dark and yet more sorrowful- within her raspy voice -“No, Little one...I do not hate you. Not you. Albeit, you need to know how things truly are...what they became...so whatever happens shall not take you offguard...It is always better to know...even if what you learn it may hurt. Yes?”-

Nervously wringing her tiny hands , and feeling as her eyes suddenly brimmed with tears, the gelfling stifled a sob as she stated -“ Well, I´m sure nothing bad will happen to me, Master. You will see after me!...You will always protect me...you always have...haven´t you?...”-

Emmitting a feeble whimpering snarl, the Illustrator closed her eyes tightly for a moment, as if she were inwardly begging that Kirie’s last words were true.

Then, silently, she turned and, without looking back, walked away with her characteristic limping gait, dragging the powdery and ripped hem of her robes across the brittle stone floors as she abandoned the yard.

Fallen into a troubled silence, the minute gelfling followed closely behind, her tiny feet stepping almost soundlessly upon the carved rock.

Soon, the shadows of the inner corridor devoured them.

Outside, the very air seemed to grow thicker, dense and heavy, like the warning of a storm which was soon to come...

**Author's Note:**

> ****Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, all Dark Crystal canon characters and events etc. are the property of their respective owners (Brian Froud, Jim Henson and everyone who worked in the making of the Dark Crystal). The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author (SkekLa) is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.****


End file.
